Douglas Ross urged the SNP Government to act on the rural healthcare crisis after tragic events in Skye last weekend, where one woman died and another feared for her life.
On Saturday, a woman tragically died at a music festival on the island. At the same festival, 27-year-old Eilidh Beaton nearly lost her life when no ambulances were available after she suffered an anaphylactic shock.
Eilidh told The Press and Journal this week: “I was coming in and out of consciousness. My airways were shutting down... I could not breathe... At one point I thought if I don’t get oxygen I will not be here tomorrow.”
Speaking to the Scottish Conservatives, Eilidh said: “We were 200 yards from Portree Hospital. A local coastguard offered to carry me to the hospital but were told there was no point because it was closed, so I would just be left lying outside.”
At First Minister’s Questions, Douglas Ross raised an independent external review of out-of-hours health services in Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross from six years ago.
The very first recommendation of that report said “Out-of-hours urgent care access at Portree Hospital should be provided 24/7.”
It added that “there should be no closure of Portree Hospital in the out-of-hours period”.
It said the Scottish Ambulance Service should increase its paramedic staff capacity and capability in the region.
Eilidh added: “The report has been on the table for six years saying we need 24-hour, urgent care. They keep making these promises but delivering no action, making the same excuses.”
Six years ago, Kate Forbes said the situation was “utterly unacceptable” and the out-of-hours closure was “another step in the wrong direction”.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “The SNP Government should have acted long ago to prevent the tragic events we saw on Skye last weekend from even being possible.
“The SNP Government are accountable for the crisis across healthcare in rural Scotland.
“Where was the will to act before now? Why does it take the tragic events on Saturday for the government to finally step up?
“It’s not more empty words that are needed – it’s action.
“As this incident has shown, there are black spots across the country where urgent treatment is often unavailable. There are sometimes no ambulances if you live in the wrong place. There is a postcode lottery for emergency care.
“The rural healthcare crisis is costing lives and putting people at risk.
“John Swinney must act now to make sure everybody in Scotland, wherever they live, has the same access to urgent healthcare.”